The Light in his eyes
by Zodidj
Summary: continuation/crossover. Ranma is killed sparring after the failed wedding due to the injuries he recived there, and Genmas thinking that a good spar would help him recover. Nodoka is faced with her ancestors telling her wat she must do, and bringing him.
1. Prologue a

Disclaimer: I do not own the intellectual property that is Ranma One Half or any of its associated characters, locations, items, ideas, or anything else that may be associated with it. Those belong to each of their own respective copyright owners. I do not own the intellectual property that is Sailor Moon or any of its associated characters, locations, items, ideas, or anything else that may be associated with it. Those belong to each of their own respective copyright owners. I do not own the intellectual property that is Ai Yori Aoshi or any of its associated characters, locations, items, ideas, or anything else that may be associated with it. Those belong to each of their own respective copyright owners.

Taking ideas for pairings, both good ones and bad ones (for example Akane with a meat-grinder would be kinda nice – Akane rates just above Genma in my view of the world). This will be a Xover with SM and Ai, though Ai will be more her family's clan than her or Karou) Also I get to play with spirits so we may see some other side effects, like fatal frame or things like Ring/spiral/loop) not sure.

Thank in advance for any reviews.

And The light in his eyes dies...

That is what Genma saw as he completed striking with the vacuum blade followed by punch to the solar plexus that he threw. That image would haunt him for the rest of his short, pathetic life. The life in his own son's eyes fading from life, into something cold and dark. Ranma still stood in front of him, but his eyes... they reflected nothing. 'Maybe training this morning was not a good idea. Maybe waiting for him to recover from the wedding, and that Kuno-boys katana strike would have been better. Waiting for anything, any time would have been better than this.' Genma watched as Ranma started to fall, after standing there, lifeless, and for one of the few times in his life, screamed his sons name in anguish.

Inside the house Nabiki heard the scream and understood faster than anyone else. She raced to the pond, and saw Ranma's fallen form and Genma picking him up. Ranma's head rolled to the side, and Nabiki also saw into those lifeless eyes. Nothing was there, for her. Not warm or cold, just flat. Empty. She collapsed to the ground sobbing, knowing in her heart that he was gone, her ATM, her often times joke, and the only man she ever had complete trust in, was growing cold as she wept.

Hours later, Nodoka and the others gathered around Ranma's body at Dr. Tofu's . Tofu looked down, and said "Genma-san and Nodoka-san please stay with me a moment, this should be something as a family we discuss." Akane tried to interject, but Nabiki just dragged her away. Kasumi was not even at Tofu's with them, she was at home, crying to her mothers spirit, because she knew what the outcome would be.

Ranma's body was taken to a nearby hospital in the Juban ward. The Furinkan hospital did not seem to have an active morgue as no one actually was killed often in Nermia, other than from old age, or sickness. They farmed out handling of the dead to the more active Juban hospital. Nodoka was the only one following him. She barred the rest of them from following her son to this place. She promised to invite most of them to the funeral. Genma was running for his life, and not just from the fiances, but from Nodoka herself. He feared the fiancee brigade but her knew deep in his heart that Nodoka would kill him. For all of the pain he suffered for his killing of Ranma, he still put his own skin above anything else. He would try to see if he could make a new start in Brazil, and hope no one could find him there. He in the end, was wrong. Latter he was taken to a village in china, by a pair of hunters.

There he paid the price for his deeds.

Nodoka sat, in the hospital waiting to take ownership of her only sons corpse. Knowing that the hospitals and even Dr. Tofu had ruled him D.O.A. She wept while she sat there, until the grief and a not so subtle spirit chose to force her to pass out.

In her dream, she saw a gathering of people, all looking down at her, and at the center of the circle they were gathered in. The air was oppressive, giving off a cold miasma that stuck to her as she was herded to the center of the circle. None of the faces that looked at her said anything, just looked down at her, as she moved father in. More and more the miasma encroached her form, till her last step into the circle, where she could see its center was also the last step her form could take. Rooted at the edge of the circle she saw two beings. One dead, her son laid out on a pyre, yet un lit and one old man, looking at her with contempt. The miasma was not allowing her to speak, and the old man moved towards her and started to speak.

"Nodoka, you have failed us your ancestors, your 'honored dead'. He was of infinite worth to us, and you, in your blindness cast him off, and drove him to his death. We the 'Honored Dead' shall look on you and place your doom upon you." the old spirit said.

Nodoka could not respond but she remembered from her childhood that her family believed that their ancestors lead the Satome clan, though the leaders of the clan. The legends also spoke of meetings between the 'Honored dead' and the leaders, either to reprimand or praise the clan for things that had transpired. When an exceptional clan mate passed on, was a time of celebration for the clan and to receive the blessing of the honored dead was the clans greatest honor. When they chose to reprimand a clan head, it was also recorded in the annuls of the clan, as the greatest shame. She was now the current clan head. She knew deep inside that she was here to answer for Ranma's death, though she had no inkling of just how high a honor they held for him, or how disgusted at her they were.

"Nodoka, in all the time of this clan never has a more valued asset been squandered by a selfish clan leader than your own son, Ranma. He was to join us, at the end of his long life, as one of the Elders, to help guide and shape the rebuilding of the clan. We could see what his future was to be, but you allowed him to suffer, become torn and eventually die. All for the desire of you to have things your way. Grand kids at his age were not important. HE was important, for you no higher honor could have been attained but by your raising him, and his value as a leader, and man. Yet you forsake those duties for nothing more than a desire for grand kids. HE should have been your concern. He was the brightest star in a thousand years, and you have seen to his death" Spoke the spirit in the middle of the circle.

Unable to move or speak, anguish and shame boiled within her but was given no release. If she could she would fall to the floor and beg for anything that may bring him back. Her life, the lives of everyone who has wronged him, anything, even the sacrifice of her own honor to bring him back. But stuck as she was, she could do no more than cry inside and wait for the elders to pass their judgment on her for failing the entire clan in a manner unheard of in its entire history.

"Nodoka, you alone are to blame for this happening. And you alone shall be held accountable for repairing the damage. We must lose one of us, your ancestors, to provide to power to bring him back. He was that precious to us, that one of us would give into oblivion to make sure he would help in shaping the clan. I am that elder, I chose to face the void, in the end, to bring him back. You're going to correct the threats to him, and treat him like the asset to the clan he is. You will also in the name of the clan bring justice on any and all who had helped to bring this about. The head of your husband, Genma, is first among those items, but others are equally pressing. We, The Elders of the clan declarer that a blood feud must exist between the Satome and Tendo clans until one or the other is wiped out. The only lenience your allowed is anyone, any where who chooses to become nameless may be spared. All of our sub-clans are expected and are being informed that this will not end till the last Tendo lies dead at our feet. You will co-ordinate this with the Sakuraba clan, our longest and best retainers. Of those, the girl who abused him the most, you will see that she is brought to the Saotome clan burial ground, personally. We shall tender upon her out own punishment for her deeds. Akane Tendo may not know deaths release for a time, but she will taste it when we are ready for her to. She will not gain any rest from that death however, and we shall make her remunerate the clan until her debt is paid. Even after death. You Nodoka will bring her to us, without letting Ranma have this knowledge. "

He continued "Nodoka, we are not giving you the easy way out, Seppuku is not in your destiny. You will live with your shame, and the knowledge that you, of all the clan heads in all of the ages, will have managed to destroy an elder and the brightest among the clan due to your deeds. I will revive him and for a time, I will be with him, guiding and teaching him. Yet after this time, I must join the void, all that I am being given to nothingness. I shall try and impart as much of my wisdom on him as possible, before then. Remember this was your failed duty that prompts this, and you bear the responsibility for this. Do not fail us again."

The old spirit, stepped into the image of her sons corpse and shrank into it. The rest of the elders faded from view, leaving her standing miasma covered watching as her sons image jerked, like a beast, and breaths labored and sharp kept trying to happen for him. This continued for some time, until finally the corpse sat up, eyes alive with fire, looked at her and spoke in a broken voice "remember this. You are his guardian now."

In the hospital where Nodoka lie passed out, several things happened more or less at once. The corpse, on the table but not yet cut into, sat up and in a broken voice could be heard to say "remember this". Also at that time a nurse noticed Nodoka's state, and got a Doctor involved, where she looked for all intents to be in a coma. They checked her in, the doctor hoping it was too much and the brain just shut off to recover. The staff moved both of them to ICU

Then they waited, Ranma was alive again, no one had ever seen anything like that, but both Satome's were in comas, unable to be awoken. Time would tell what this would bring.


	2. Chapter 2

And the light in his eyes flickers.

Deep in the mind of a sleeping boy dwelled the spirit of his own ancestor, remembered only as the Warlord. He was from the far past of the clan, back before Japan recorded their history. He was of the times before, in China. He tried then to create himself a kingdom, but was in the end defeated in that task. He was not the eldest of the spirits, but old enough, to have seen the Yayoi invasion of Japan, as a spirit elder to the forming clan. He was a child of Xia, from the city now known as An-yang. Many of the truly ancient spirits were unable to remember who they were named, just what they did. He was the Warlord, that was enough.

He sat, peacefully in the dark recesses of Ranma's mind, waiting for the boy to have leeched enough of his spirit to be able to converse with. Ranma's death was complete, this extreme sacrifice was made to bring him back. He would sit there a long time while Ranma's own spirit fed on the Warlord.

Nodoka awoke far sooner than her son, and once cleared from the bonds of the hospital staff, started to work on her tasks. 'It would be best that Akane is taken before the Tendo's can react to the blood feud. Not honorable, but this was part of my punishment.' She went home to find almost a truck load of flowers, in all shades. She took careful notice however of the bouquet of Black roses, and that any roses near there were faded, and rotting. She went into her house, to contact the sub-clans, with the Sakuraba's being first on the list.

The Sakuraba family had been going through some changes, of late, as they received separate instructions form the 'honored dead'. Three years before a new family head was named, Aoi Sakuraba (Hanjo). She was the daughter of the previous family head, and had been married to her husband Kaoru Hanjo for the better part of 10 years now. The 'Honored Dead took great pains to instruct both Aoi and Kaoru that this war was not an option for them to participate in. This was for the defense of the clan, and the Sakuraba's were once the finest of the combat clans in the Satome clans control. Aoi was expecting Nodoka's call, with sadness and had already started the process of following the orders of the spirit elders. The first task they were given was to kidnap Akane, to present her to Nodoka in person. Nodoka had to be the one to present her to the graves of her elders, and watch Akane's punishment. Aoi felt guilt over what was soon to pass, but she would follow her clans duty.

Nodoka got off of the phone after talking to Aoi, and started the process of contacting the rest of the family heads, and having the deeds begun. The Tendo's also were not a small clan. Soun Tendo was not clan head, merely one of the families that were in the main clan. Later, when hostilities had formally started, Soun's head would be offered up to the Satome clan, in an attempt to stop the carnage. It was not accepted. In the background of modern japan, this war would rage for 2 years. At the end of this, there were no Tendo's left, within the clan. Many however had fled rather than die.

Nodoka knew that Ranma was going to wake soon, even if no one else knew it. She took over one of the manors that the Sakuraba family had in the juban district. When he awoke, his mother wanted to be sure she had everything taken care of for him to recover, and to start to grow into the man she now knew he would become.

After 3 days of rest, the spirit in Ranma's head started to see the shimmer of Ranma's soul taking form. The warlord took stock of himself, an realized that about half of his own spirit energy was gone now, just reforming the boy. He hoped what he had left would give him time to better instruct Ranma, in what to do.

Ranma's soul was completely see through. His eyes just were empty sockets. Occasionally you could see the soul attempt to scream, but nothing came out. His head sometimes would rapidly move back and forth, so fast that you could only see a blur.

The Warlord continued to sit and watch passively as Ranma's spirit attempt to reform.

Back in Juban Nodoka stepped into a black BMW that was to take her to the Sakuraba's main compound. They had gotten Akane, and they were awaiting Nodoka to take her away to have the Elders pass their judgment. Nodoka felt depressed about what was about to happen, she had liked Akane. Once she took control of Akane, the formal feud would start. This action would reignite a war that had layed dormant since the 1600's. The Satome's were above several cadet branch clans, and was one of the more prominent clans that owed allegiance to the Siewa Genji Clan, one of the 4 noble clans of japan. The Tendo were a cadet branch formed to support the Hojo regency. For hundreds of years now, the clan had gotten along peacefully. Nodoka wondered if the Hojo clans would rise to the defense of the Tendo's or if they would allow the feud to happen. If the Hojo got involved, then the Saiwa Genji clan would feel it also had to intervene. Hopefully it would be left to just the Satome and Tendo's to fight this out. She silently wept for what was going to come, as the car pulled into the compound.

Interlude one : The Pandas from Brazil

Genma looked out on his hut and the 'woman' who had claimed his as husband. She was short, tiny in fact, yet the tallest of her brethren. 'Figures' he thought to himself, " I would find another amazon village. The Kami must find me very entertaining." He had tried to go to the farthest place he could think of from Japan and his wife. He could not however hide from his fate. There in the wilds of the rainforest, he once more found himself in an 'Amazon" village. The only difference was none of the amazons reached taller than 3 feet.

'A village of midgets. Wonderful" thought the panda, 'at least they feed me well.' Even in these circumstances, he thought of his belly first. He had attempted escape on no less than 4 occasions, each time ending in him being lost, in the rainforest and wandering back into the village. He had been here 3 months now, trapped by the little women (and littler men). They fed him, changed him into a man now and again, for his wife's play time and other than that generally left him alone. That he spoke not a word of the language here did not help.

He ambled outside of the hut, and stretched. He was a big panda after all, no stretching in the hut. He saw the village chief, a Very small woman who reminded him a lot of Colone, speak into what looked like to him, a goblet made of shells. 'Senile, I knew it' he thought to himself. He picked up a sugar reed and started to eat it. These were the closest thing he could find to bamboo around here.

The old woman stopped her conversation into the goblet, and barked some commands. Most of the villagers dropped everything they were doing and converged on the hapless panda. 'huh?'. The panda pulled out a sign that was written in Japanese, forgetting again they had no clue what the sign said.

The villagers mobbed him and started to chain him to a tree using chains made of a sticky sap mixed with vines. He was not sure how, but he was actually being held fast by these. The village elder mumbled something at him, but he still could not have understood it. If he could he would have been told something very similar to '3000 years of amazon history keep you in place'.

For days they kept him in these sticky chains. No food, water once a days. He started screaming when he first realized that he was not going to get fed the first night. After three days of this, he was a terrible sight. He could fardly see anymore, his eyes swollen and red. In his starvation induced haze he could see in the distance, the village elder talking to a pair of much larger women. One walked over to the panda looked down on him and said "You come to China now panda. Elder wish to speak with you about Ranma"

the panda looked up and shivered, he had not gotten away.

Note : I am spelling Satome this way deliberately. The Satome clan was an honored clan from 1200-1600 ad, when in 1622 they were at last wiped out. They fought against the Hojo regency and its supporting clans, with honor, and had many notable members. They were founded by Nitta Yoshishige, a member of the Nitta clan who claimed decent form the Saiwa Genji clan. I can see a good argument that if the Saotomes were real they would be actually of the Satome clan.

When I can I throw some real history into things I generally do ;)

Reviews :

Thanks Cabrera1234.

Nysk : Thanks also. I am working to correct any as I find them. I reloaded the prologue while working on the actual chapter, because I saw several grammatical and spelling errors. Hopefully the 2nd version was cleaner than the original.


	3. Chapter 3

The light in his eyes darkens

The Warlord had been starting to get concerned. Another day in human terms has passed, and he was less than half, yet Ranma was not progressing. He just kept feeding, like the Void itself. If he failed to raise him, yet was consumed himself would just compound the waste. He needed to seek the guidance of the others to see what was wrong about this. He folded back into himself, and gradually manifested himself into the circle of elders.

The elders were also concerned about the same thing. They had been scanning both what they could of Ranma's spirit, and his past to look for an answer. Saotome Santaka merely suggested that another elder also be fed to Ranma. Others protested at this. Without knowing why, it could be no more than a waste to throw more energy at him. Others suggested trying to refocus the energy, or manipulate his soul. That was possible, though a less than desirable option. Another of the very old ones, whom they called the Historian, had she felt she perhaps knew the issue. She was keeper of the clans honor, what it had done both for good and evil over the iterations of the clan. She was one of the few who knew why they had followed this branch of the family, when once they were guiding the main branch. She knew what was coming and knew that Ranma's death would engulf the world in darkness. Saffron was not the worst of evils that Ranma should have stopped.

The Historian spoke to the others. "there is another facet to this issue. His soul is split, even before his death. Warlord you are a powerful spirit, and one of the most trained of our warriors, your spirit will stiffen him when his war against The Ice begins." The Warlord nodded. This was in fact why he had volunteered to the void. Ranma would need to learn how to kill, something that was never acceptable to him. The Historian continued. "However, you lack the Female Chi required to bring him back. His soul is split from a curse he received at Jusenkyo. I propose that this is why he just keeps feeding on you, that his female half is trying to form in him as well. Your not capable of providing this energy for him. We need to provide him with a female's soul to feed that part of him. I am not eligible as I am keeper of our honor. We need to seek among us one who will balance him and his warrior spirit."

The elders conferred among ourselves, as this thought was being discussed. After much deliberation Nitta Minna was selected. She had been a rare beauty in her time, and a model of both herself and those around her. She was also the model of why the Samurai were both male and female. She had defended her own home with valor under combat, and died to stop a killing blow to her lord. She could match the strength of the task.

The Warlord nodded his own approval of the choice, and started to fold back on himself. He was stopped by Miina. "Warlord, remember we bind ourselves together in this boy. I would have you look at the person who will spend an eternity with you, joined in him." The Warlord looked at her and bowed. "Yes, and thank you. Your sacrifice will be passed as a model for our clan." Miina smiled, and folded herself into Ranma. The historian looked at the Warlord and said "you should spend some time here, for her spirit to be more properly consumed." He nodded, and sat in the circle and waited.

Miina entered into the space of Ranma's soul, and noticed instantly the drain on her form. She did not hold as much power, nor spirit as the Warlord did, and the process was painful to her. She endured it, and watched a 2nd form start to come into being slowly from her energy. She would be at this for some time as Ranko's spirit formed. Eventually the Warlord appeared and they watched together, as both sides were becoming more defined and solid as they watched.

The Hospital that Ranma was being treated at continued to attempt to reawaken him. From time to time he would appear to almost come out of unconsciousness, but he would fall back into the coma almost instantly. Dr Saeko Mizuno looked at the scans of his brain and sighed. 'there is some change taking place but I cant for the life of me figure out what. This darkness on his scan seems to be receding and that looks like its a good thing.' she looked around in annoyance. She didn't blame this boy for making her miss something important again, but her daughter was growing up, and as always she was missing it. Her own spirit drooped in this rare moment no one was watching her. 'Ami, I hope you will one day forgive me." Ranma stirred in his coma a bit, just like before and an odd voice came from him. "please help us" was spoken and then back to his calm quasi-coma. Saeko looked down on the boy, lost in thought. "He will come out of this, I can feel it"

Interlude two : Gates of fate open slowly.

Sailor Pluto again scanned the gates. She had been doing this for two days now, relative time, because something had changed. It was a serious change, effecting at least one of the scouts, but at no point in their manifestation was there anything to show what had removed one. After a great deal of time she was able to establish that it was Sailor Uranus who was missing, but no enemy or the like seemed to remove her. She peered into the gates more and finally saw the divergence. In most of the lines, this problem would grow to infect all of the scouts, and one by one they would drop from the future. A whole clan had decided to take the scouts out, but they never went after the scouts. They went after the person behind the scouts, in this case starting with Haruka Tendo. Going after the real person, caused several manifestations of the scouts, to defend Haruka, and the clan just shifted and started to target the girls themselves. The often appearances of the scouts to defend her, made it simple for one paying close attention to see who the players were, or at least could be. They used first Haruka, and then Michiru Kaioh, her lover to bring out the other scouts. They almost instantly could target Hotoru Tomoe and herself, though she could always flee (and in these futures did) back to the gates for protection. The others were noticed a bit later. The scouts were tremendous forces of power, yet they could not be everywhere, could not stop everything, and rapidly needed to start protecting their own families. The clan, the Satome, was butchering them. The cause appeared to be from the gates that a blood feud had been declared between the Satome and Tendo clans, any who got in their way would quietly disappear. When she tried to see the cause however, that was hidden from her. A literal block on everything around a key player it seemed. She would see that block again, later in time, during some of the battles. A shadow that obscured everything. The time gates bounced around a bit, not answering to her commands, and pulling up another scene. Its a scene that showed an enraged Rei Hino as Sailor Mars, lashing the head of the Satome clan, burning her before she was going to die. That shadow came in, in fact it was as far as she could tell the first appearance of the shadow in these fights. She watched Mars fall, her voice box pulled from her body. She also watched as the female who lead the clan die, succuming to her wounds. The shadow seemed to be much more prevalent after that.

'two years' she thought. 'two years and everything we have worked for is over. We must change this'

She looked deeper and programed changes to the future, until she found an acceptable path. IT was a path that it would be almost impossible without the princess herself making come to pass, but it was one where everyone survived. It may be one they even get aid form the Satome's themselves

Interlude three : the many deaths of Akane Tendo.

It had been 4 days since Nodoka had awoken from her meeting with the elders. In 4 days time she had turned the matter of getting Akane over to the Sakuraba clan. They reacted with efficiency, and thanks to the information that was readily available, they grabbed her outside of school grounds. No one there seemed too surprised when a black van opened its side door beside her, and someone inside shot her with a tranquilizer gun. Her going quietly into the van did not seem too surprising. After all no one got kidnapped more than Akane did. Many of them felt almost relieved that things were returning to normal. The rumor that Ranma had in fact recovered had been going around Nermia for the couple of days. Many saw this latest kidnapping as a sign that perhaps he would awaken soon.

Akane awoke in a dark room. She was chained to a chair that was bolted to the floor, her mouth was covered with a gag, with a steel ball in it. She was furious, and thought to herself that this had to be the work of Kuno somehow. A door opened and highlighted in the doorway was someone she did NOT expect to be there. Nodoka looked at Akane with pity. "Akane, I am sorry for what is to happen. What is willed by my ancestors will come to pass. Even though I liked you, you are now my enemy, a blood feud has been called against the Tendo. Only one clan shall survive this. You will be the first to fall, yet I think the longest to suffer."

Akane was confused. How could a family of three people call a feud against the Tendo clan. She knew what kind of relatives, and how many she had. Even with Ranma's help there was just no way to get them all, and she had heard that Genma was also on the run. So how would two be able to kill off her entire clan. That was simply insane.

Nodoka sighed. A man came up behind her. "Lady Nodoka, Lady Ai wishes to speak with you." Nodoka looked to the man "Tell Lady Ai of the Sakuraba clan that lady Nodoka of the Satome clan will be with her shortly." the man bowed and turned away.

Akane was shocked. Even she had heard of the Sakuraba clans many financial interests. Her sister Nabiki had often said she wanted to work for them, say they were the best corporation to work for. What was the connection between Nodoka and one of the largest corporate families in Japan. More than that, why did that man call her Lady Nodoka, putting her as equal to whoever this Ai was. Unfortunately for Akane she was not Nabiki, she could not put those pieces together.

At the Tendo Dojo, Nabiki was actually concerned. The hospital staff were tight lipped about what was happening with Ranma, and she was starting to suspect that they were deliberately blocking her about information. That was not a good sign to Nabiki, as that could only have come from Nodoka.

She idly was going through the letters, and bills that had come in, thinking about Ranma. She hoped that Akane being kidnapped today would be the start of Ranma coming out. Flipping through more bills, she wished that perhaps her clumsy sister would give him up again. She would never repeat that mistake if she ever was offered the chance at him again. But she felt that this would never happen. One of the letters, a parchment scroll, fell to the floor. It was embossed with a wax seal, the seal of the Satome clan. It looked on the outside what she had seen of the Tendo's formal scroll. She debated giving it to daddy, but decided better of that. He was still being Daddy, over Ranma and now Akane's kidnapping. She broke the seal and started reading the very formal letter. Her face drained of blood, reading what was kept there. "My god" was all she could get out before panic took her full force.


End file.
